Mugger who attacked woman in Astoria and was stopped by Good Samaritans remain at large

Police need the public’s help in finding a man who recently punched a woman in the face on an Astoria street while snatching her purse.

Law enforcement sources said the mugging occurred at 11:45 p.m. on Sept. 25 in the vicinity of 46th Street and Broadway.

According to authorities, the perpetrator approached the 32-year-old woman and punched her, then took her bag and attempted to run from the scene.

Two Good Samaritans, however, stopped the suspect and tried to detain him; though they were able to recover her pocketbook, police said, the thief managed to get away from them.

He was last seen heading westbound on Broadway, police said.

Officers from the 114th Precinct and EMS arrived on the scene shortly afterwards. The victim suffered no major injuries and refused medical attention.

Police describe the mugger as a 45-year-old, partially balding black male who was seen on surveillance footage and in a photo taken at scene of the crime.

Anyone with information in regards to this robbery is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website, on Twitter @NYPDTips or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confidential.